The next time you’re offered the chance to shift your schedule to avoid rush-hour traffic, or to work from home while the kids are on school break, know this: You may be penalized for saying yes.

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Flexible work arrangements may harm your prospects for a raise.

In a forthcoming paper, researchers from University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management say there are career consequences for using flexible work arrangements, such as flexible schedules, telecommuting, job shares and compressed work weeks, but they vary depending on why a manager thinks the employee needs the accommodation.

If managers see the move as an expression of high commitment to the job or an attempt to boost productivity, it reflects positively on the worker, increasingly the chances for raises and promotions. But if management assumes an employee needs the flexibility to manage his or her personal life, that worker suffers in the boss’s estimation.

The researchers analyzed survey data from 482 employees and 366 managers at a Fortune 500 organization, asking about usage of and attitudes toward flexible work policies. They then measured performance, salary and job level. The key finding: when a manager thought someone was taking advantage of flex policies to do better work, they were rewarded.

The field study recorded no ill effects when managers saw flex policies as a personal issue, but a follow-up lab test found it made a difference. In that study, the researchers asked 156 subjects to evaluate a set of fictional company employees, varying their traits, reasons for using flexible programs and performance reviews. Employees who worked a flexible schedule to accommodate their personal lives were viewed more negatively than those doing so for productivity.

The lesson? When requesting flexibility in a work arrangement, forget work-life balance and emphasize productivity gains instead.

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Written and edited by The Wall Street Journal’s Management & Careers group, At Work covers life on the job, from getting ahead to managing staff to finding passion and purpose in the office. Tips, questions? email us.